Angel of Stone
by Akari Sennyami
Summary: (complete short story) Touya asks Yuki to lend his support for a difficult visit... *couldn't resist a little Touya/Yuki angst while I was there!*


All characters are the rightful property of CLAMP, and merely on loan to me for the duration of this story…  This is my own original work, so please enjoy and R&R.

Angel of Stone 

  "Are you sure, Touya?"

  The tall young man nodded slowly.  His dark hair fell over his eyes as he looked down into his friend's face.  

  The snow-rabbit smiled at his dark friend reassuringly, and pushed his glasses up on his nose in his characteristic action.  Touya's eyes softened with a smile that didn't quite reach his lips.

  "I guess we should head off then."  

  They made their way to the hall, bending to pull on shoes.  Touya paused in the doorway.  His broad-shouldered, tall frame was outlined softly in the weak light of the cloudy day that brooded in the world beyond him.  He looked at his friend.  "Thanks for coming with me, Yuki.  You know."  He turned abruptly, never a one to get anything like sentimental for any length of time.

  The streets were grey, as if reflecting the sky, which covered the city like a dull blanket.  Cars whooshed past over wet roads, lights glowing red as they passed on to anywhere.  The air felt cool and damp, but Yukito found it almost pleasant: he loved the sunshine, but some part of him liked darkness too, and gloomy wet days.  He snugged his coat closer about himself with a smile.

  The walk wasn't too long, but it felt long to Touya.  Though he'd walked this route many times in his life, it always felt a little difficult.  The weather did nothing to lift his spirits.  He looked over at Yuki, who had that little happy smile of his on his face, the one that made him look like he was remembering something nice- or maybe thinking about food.  Touya found himself smiling, and was almost surprised, considering where they were going today.  But then he let that feeling go, and let himself take comfort from his friend's happy presence: that was part of why he'd asked him to come, ne?  His eyes shone a little in the gloom.

  The grass was a lush, wet green, and the carved stones were shining a little in the damp.  The two young men wandered their way through the rows of statues and plaques until Touya halted in front of a statue of an angel.  Her long, grey locks curled down her back, and there was a smile of almost painful sweetness on her face: painful that she was so beautiful, and yet trapped in stone.  Her eyes shone kindly on the two friends.

  Yuki looked hesitantly at his taller friend, not sure what to say or do.  This was the first time he'd seen the grave of his friend's mother, and it troubled him to think that Touya may be feeling really upset, and just not able to show it: Touya had always been so private about his emotions.  Yukito's autumn eyes looked anxiously up at his friend's calm profile.

  They stood in silence like that for a few minutes, and Yukito realised that it had started drizzling.  He looked up at the clouds as the rain began to fall lazily, riding on the uneven gusts of a damp breeze.

  Touya hadn't moved.  He was gazing intently at the space above the statue, almost as if he could see something there, and after a while, he smiled a little.  Another moment, then he sighed to himself.  His head fell from its usual proud height, and he suddenly looked very tired.

  Yukito couldn't think of anything else to do.  Just before he hid his face in Touya's shoulder, he closed his eyes so as not to see the shining water in his friend's eyes.  He knew Touya wouldn't want him to make it obvious that he'd seen his friend cry.

  Touya thought he should be surprised at Yuki's reaction, but somehow he just wasn't.  He closed his eyes and let his tears mix with the cool rain that swept gently into them, as he smiled into his best friend's silvery hair.  He let himself indulge in the impulse of bringing his hands up to rest lightly on his slight, pale friend's shoulders.  The rain dripped from Touya's deep-black locks onto Yuki's moon-pale head of hair.

  It was impossible to feel too sad when his mother still came when he needed comfort, and when the best friend he'd ever had knew just how to help, just by instinct, even if that meant standing in the pouring rain by a grave and not even saying a word.


End file.
